Sexual assault trial delayed till May 14

Villa's attorney needs more time to prepare defense

A last-minute motion for a continuance Monday pushed back the trial
of a 66-year-old dance instructor accused of sexual assault.

Ricardo Villa's trial was scheduled to start Monday but was reset to
May 14 after his attorney, Ken Botary, asked 319th District Judge Tom
Greenwell for more time to prepare.

The defense said it was missing testimony of a potential key witness
- the counselor who interviewed the person Villa is accused of sexually
assaulting. Villa is charged with three counts of aggravated sexual
assault of a child and is accused of improper sexual contact with a
male dance student who was younger than 14 in 1993.

Because the counselor was unavailable Monday, Botary said he wanted
more time to meet with the counselor and view videotape of the
interviews, if any were available.

Although Greenwell granted the motion for continuance, he denied a
motion by Botary to allow his client to be released on bond.

Villa's $100,000 bond was revoked Feb. 14 by Greenwell, who ruled
Villa violated conditions of his bond by attending a wedding in late
January in which children were in attendance and by violating his
curfew.

Villa is the only one who can gain access to his dance studio office
during the day, Botary argued. Records that date back to the day police
said the assault took place are kept in Villa's office and are vital to
the case, Botary said.

"My case is built around these records," Botary said, pleading with
the judge to set Villa free. "I really need Mr. Villa out so he could
help me with those records."